Planning our trip from 23-31 Dec 2016

We are now planning our trip to Swiss. We would like to know how to spend our time there and looking for your suggestion of below tentative schedule. It would be grateful if you could advise us which rail pass more suitable this trip. We will arrive at Zurich Airport on 23 Dec 2016, 0600 and departure on 1 Jan 2017 (10 days 9 nights). Is there any closure during Christmas period e.g. Jungfrau etc. Meanwhile, any good hiking with wonderful view introduce for us?

23 Dec (Stay 1 night Montreux) Zurich Airport > Montreux > Château de Chillon & Lake view > Christmas Market

24 Dec (Stay 3-1 nights Grindelward) Montreux > Grindelward

25 Dec (Stay 3-2 nights Grindelward) Grindelward > Jungfrau > First > Bachalpsee

26 Dec (Stay 3-3 nights Grindelward) Grindelward > Interlaken

27 Dec (Stay 1 night Lauterbrunnen) Schithorn > Mürren, Bernese Oberland > Staubbachfall & Trummelbachfalle

28 Dec (Stay 2-1 nights Zermatt) Lauterbrunnen > Zermatt

29 Dec (Stay 2-2 nights Zermatt) Matterhorn > Matterhorn Glacier Paradise > Gornegrat > Rotenboden ~Riffelberg

30 Dec (Stay 1 night Luzern) Zermatt > Luzern > Reuss, Hofkirche, Kapellbrucke

31 Dec (Stay 1 night Zurich) Lucerne > Zurich > Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall

1 Jan Departure

Hi AnsonGladys-

Welcome to the forum.

Here is small start on answers for you.

The Christmas market in Montreux is one of the best in Switzerland. Good choice.

At your travel times, the Alpine resorts are heavily booked for the Christmas holidays. May already be full.

Hiking may be difficult at high altitudes. Many trails are closed. However, the cableways will be running, after starting up from the autumn break, to service skiers, usually starting about December 15th, although they may run weekends in early December if the snow is good..

Check the time table for a particular day....for example...Grindelwald to First.

Today, the time table only runs into November. it will change over for december and 2017 in the next few days. You'll need to watch for that to check on the cableway to First, for example. Don't know if the trail to Bachalpsee will be open. Some trails are kept clear for hikers....don't know which ones.

Arno and Annika will be able to help with those details.

The cograil to the Jungfraujoch runs every day of the year.

I don't understand your dates for Zermatt.

For the Schilthorn, you may stay in Lauterbrunnen or Wengen, but although it is desirable, it is not absolutely necessary to move from Grindelwald. The one way trip takes about an hour to 1 hour and one half, via Zweilütschinen, so it is a significant time spent on the train, however.

Slowpoke

Hi AnsonGladys,

Yes, most of your itinerary is doable. Try to be flexible though, as you'll depend on clear weather for quite some trips (especially Jungfraujoch, Schilthorn, Gornergrat and Klein Matterhorn). I'd recommend to list a few bad weather alternatives (e.g. visits to charming towns such as Thun and Bern). Note that you're traveling in low season, which means that some attractions aren't accessible at that time. You'll be able to visit the First. The trail to Bachalpsee is accessible most of the year, but it will depend on current weather and snow circumstances. There may be more winter trails prepared by the time you visit (maybe Männlichen-Kleine Scheidegg, which is gorgeous), but you'd best check with the Grindelwald tourist office once you're there. Low altitude hikes in valleys and around the lakes are mostly accessible: myswissalps.com/hiking. The Trümmelbach Falls will be closed, and don't expect the other waterfalls in the Lauterbrunnen valley to be at their best. They exist of melting water and under normal circumstances there should be very little of that in December. For the same reason, the Rhine Falls won't be as spectacular as they are in spring or summer. You may want spend that time on day 9 in Zurich itself instead.

An 8 day Swiss Travel Pass with additional tickets for day 9 and 10 will probably work best. You can easily get it as a printable e-ticket from www.swissrailways.com/ en. Other retailers are listed at myswissalps.com/swisst ravelpass/price Here's how to calculate your options in case you want to be 100% sure: myswissalps.com/train/ ticketspasses/practica l/chooserailpass

As Slowpoke mentioned, it's wise to start booking by now. Please find the hotels we recommend at myswissalps.com/hotels /populartowns.

Grindelwald <> First is open from 12 december (winteroperation)

You can walk First to Bachalpsee, but it is in the snow. The footpath will by cleand from heavy snow. Thake good shoeware.

You can also go to Schilthorn from Grindelwald. Take the nice trip Grindelwald grund>Mannlichen>Wengen>Lauterbrunnen>Grutsalp>Murren> walk to Schilthornbahn.

To spend a whole day in Interlaken is to much. Interlaken is a small city with only one shoppingstreet. You can walk in one hour from railwaystation Interlaken Ost to Interlaken West railwaystation.